Published on Thursday, 27 August 2020 at 10:46:16 AM
A Lone Pine tree planted 46 years ago alongside the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial to commemorate the diamond jubilee of the departure of the first contingent of the First Australian Imperial Force was lost in recent storms.
But its spirit lives on after City staff planted a replacement tree at the site this week, which was germinated from a seed from the original tree.
The tree was first spotted by Australian troops when they landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 as it stood on the southern lobe on the 400 Plateau where they aptly named it Lone Pine.
WWI veterans John Anderson Brown, Stanley Lyell Thomson and one unidentified gentleman planted the Lone Pine tree on Mount Clarence in 1974, 60 years after the convoys left Albany for the Great War.
Recent severe weather resulted in the Lone Pine tree falling over to an extent that it was unrecoverable and required removal from the area where it was recycled into mulch and used on the Avenue of Honour.
City staff have planted a seedling propagated from the original tree in its place this week to ensure the sentiment and commemoration is continued for years to come.
Acting Executive Director Community Services Nathan Watson said it is important that we continue to preserve the memory of our Anzacs.
“Losing the Lone Pine is the result of some unfortunate weather in the Great Southern but it is something we can still preserve by planting the seedling and ensuring the effort of the three WWI veterans isn’t lost,” he said.
“Our Anzac history is part of the fabric of our heritage so it’s a great outcome that we can keep the spirit of this tree and what it represents alive.”
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